Bryan Kohberger's legal team is signaling that new information may emerge regarding the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, as the convicted killer attempts to retract his guilty pleas. Kohberger, who pleaded guilty last year to the stabbings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, has retained new legal counsel.
Jason Goldman, an attorney based in New York, issued a statement indicating that the case is more complex than publicly understood. "There remain serious questions about how this case reached its present posture, and a hearing will provide an appropriate forum to address those issues," Goldman said.
Kohberger, now 31, is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea and has filed a motion to disqualify Judge Steven Hippler, the Ada County magistrate who sentenced him to four life sentences. Kohberger claims he was manipulated into pleading guilty through promises of better prison conditions and threats regarding death row. He stated in a written petition that his attorneys allegedly failed to disclose or review evidence that could have aided his defense during plea negotiations.
Kohberger's legal team, which now includes attorneys Greg Rauch and Goldman, is pursuing post-conviction relief. This process could potentially lead to a new trial, which might reintroduce the possibility of the death penalty.
Judge Hippler has not yet granted a hearing on Kohberger's claims. However, he has scheduled a date for next June to determine if an evidentiary hearing is warranted. The judge has instructed both the prosecution and the defense to strictly follow the Idaho Rules of Court Procedure, particularly concerning admissible evidence. Disclosures of potential witnesses, including experts, are due by early February, with a status conference set for June.
Goldman stated that the motion to dismiss Judge Hippler from the case is intended to ensure that "serious constitutional questions" are heard by a judicial officer whose impartiality is unquestioned, citing a potential conflict of interest if the same judge rules on these matters. Morgan, 21, Goncalves, 21, Chapin, 20, and Kernodle, 20, were fatally stabbed in their Moscow, Idaho, home in November 2022. Kohberger, a former criminology student, was arrested months later.